KATHMANDU, Oct 17: The Nepal Premier League (NPL) is set to implement stricter rules on player eligibility, corruption prevention and tournament operations following its recognition by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Paras Khadka, Secretary of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), shared this information during a press conference held today at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur. According to Khadka, necessary arrangements will be made to ensure that the NPL operates in accordance with ICC standards.
Under the new rules, any foreign player participating in the tournament must obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective national cricket board. Likewise, ICC rules on combating corruption will be implemented to prevent match-fixing, spot-fixing and other forms of corruption. Khadka added that the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit's rules will be strictly enforced throughout the tournament to prevent potential irregularities in franchise cricket.
According to him, under ICC provisions, players who have participated in any illegal or unsanctioned cricket tournaments within the six months before the NPL begins will not be eligible to compete.
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Furthermore, foreign players who have retired from international cricket are also required to obtain an NOC from their respective cricket boards before participating in the NPL.
“Foreign players who have retired from international cricket will need to get a mandatory NOC from the cricket board of their respective country to play in the NPL. Players who have participated in tournaments not approved by the ICC or the relevant cricket board within six months before the start of the NPL will not be eligible to play in this season,” Secretary Khadka said.
The review report on the competition must be submitted within 60 days after the third edition ends.
Rules related to foreign players
This time, each franchise team will be allowed to have a minimum of six and a maximum of eight foreign players. The final playing XI must include seven Nepali players and four foreign players.
Secretary Khadka said preparations to implement the Decision Review System (DRS) in the NPL had reached the final stage. He added that a formal decision on this would be announced in a few days.
“Discussions about implementing DRS in the NPL are ongoing. Formal information on this will be provided by Monday,” Khadka said.
CAN to host ICC Asia Conference
CAN is set to host the ICC Asia Conference in Kathmandu from November 19 to 21. Secretary Khadka said the conference would be attended by the presidents, secretaries and chief executive officers of Test and Associate cricket boards across Asia.
According to him, the conference will include discussions on policies for the development of cricket in Asia.